Picture hanger



April 20, 1943. F. LowENTHAL PICTURE HANGER Filed Nov. l1, 1942 IN V EN T 0R Fred [oweniizal/ Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED zSTATES. yPasteur OFFICE PXCTURE HANGER Fred Lowenthal, Brooklyn, N. vY. Application November 11, 1942, Serial No. 465,223

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hangers or suspension members for picture frames, mirrors, or other decorative articles such as -are normally suspended from the wall, and has for its primary object the provision of a relatively simple device of this character secured to the back of the picture and by which the same may be hung or suspended on a nail, hook or other fastener.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension member of this character which may be formed from thin sheet material, such as nbre, cardboard, Celluloid or other plastic inaterial, metal or the like, and which will be maintained attached to the picture in a retracted and protected position until ready for use whereby it will not become damaged during shipping or handling of the picture.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a picture hanger which may, if desired, be made wholly from non-metallic material; which can be stamped from sheet stock and thus manufactured speedily and economically.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a suspension member or hanger of thin sheet material having a loop or suspension element at one end; an enlargement or head at the other end, and a connecting neck portion, the latter portion being movable in a part of a slot provided in the backing sheet of the picture, whereby the loop may be extended for suspension of the picture or may be retracted behind the frame for protection thereby, the head on the suspension member serving to limit the extended movement of the suspension member in the slot.

In the accompanying drawing, in which an embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a face view of the backing sheet of a picture frame, showing the aperture therein for the reception of the hanger; Fig. 2 is a face view of the hanger; Fig. 3 shows the back of a picture, with the hanger in extended position; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the hanger in retracted position, and Fig. 6 shows an aperture in the backing sheet of slightly modified form.

In the drawing, a portion of a picture frame is shown at i, the same being of conventional construction and containing the picture 2 in front of which is located the usual glass pane 3. The back of the frame is closed by a card-board backing sheet 5, the same being secured to the frame by the spaced wire staples 5, or other equivalent fastening elements.

The backing sheet 5 is provided with an aperture or slot I extending substantially horizontally when the picture is in its hung position, and extending from the slot 'I to the upper edge of the backing sheet, is a slit 8. The entire aperture consisting of the slot 'I and slit portion `8, constitutes a substantially inverted T-shaped opening, with the vertically disposed slit 8 extending inwardly from the upper edge of the backing sheet to the slot 1,

The hanger or suspension member Ill is preferably stamped or otherwise formed from relatively thin sheet material such as iibre, cardboard, Celluloid or the like, and is provided at one end with an enlargement or head I3, and at its other end with an enlarged head I2, the latter head being of loop formation and constituting a suspension element to be passed over a nail, hook or other projection extending from the wall. The heads II and I3 are connected by an integral necl: portion I2 that is slidable through the slot 'l in the backing sheet. It will be noted that both of the heads II and I3 are of greater size than the length of the slot 8 so that when the hanger is placed in the slot and occupies either of the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 5, one or the other of the heads prevents the hanger from being detached from the slot.

The hanger may be readily slid into the slot l by insertion through the slit portion 8, the resiliency of the backing sheet normally holding the slit closed, and when the hanger is properly in place, the neck portion I2 thereof will be surrounded by the slot 'l and the heads II and I3 will act as stops to limit the sliding movement of the hanger in two directions and will retain the hanger in the slot. The position of non-use of the hanger is shown in Fig. 5 where it will be seen that the same is retracted so that the head or loop portion II is disposed behind the frame I and is thus protected thereby. The hanger, occupying this position during handling and shipping, is thus protected against damage. When it is desired to suspend the picture, the hanger is extended or drawn out to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that the loop portion I I is disposed above the top of the frame. At this time the lower head I3, acting as a stop against the walls of the slot l, limits the movement of the hanger out of the slot.

While the natural resiliency ci the backing sheet 5 is probably Suicient to hold the slit 8 closed to maintain the lower head I3 of the hanger on the inside of the backing sheet, it may be found desirable to positively close this slit. This can be readily done by one of the wire staples 6a (Fig. 5) which can be positioned to bridge the upper portion of the slit.

In Fig. 6 is shown a slight modification in the form of slot and the slit, the latter extending angularly to facilitate the insertion of the hanger.

The hanger is such that it may be wholly made from non-metallic materials, and applied to the picture speedily and eiectively.

What I claim is:

1. An article of the character described comprising, a picture frame backing provided with a slot having a transverse portion and a part extending therefrom to one edge of the backing, a suspension member having two enlarged ends connected by a narrow neck, the neck being slidable Within the transverse portion of the slot, the sliding movement of the suspension member within the slot being limited by the enlarged ends, one of said ends constituting a suspension loop.

2. An article of the character described comprising, a picture frame back-ing sheet provided with a slot of inverted T-shape, said slothaving a vertical and horizontal portion, a suspension member consisting of a flat strip having two enlarged ends connected by a narrower neck, `the neck being slidable through the horizontal portion of the slot, the sliding movement of the neck through said part of the slot being limited in one direction by one of the heads and limited in the opposite direction by the other head, one of said heads being disposed on the outside of thebacking sheet and constituting a suspension loop.

Cil

3. An article of the character described comprising, a picture frame backing sheet provided Awith a, slot extending inwardly from one of its edges, said slot being of inverted T-shape and having a vertical and a horizontal portion, the vertical portion of the slot opening at the edge of the backing sheet, a suspension member of strip form having head portions at its opposite ends disposed on opposite faces of the backing sheet., saidv heads being connected by an. integral neck portion slidable through the horizontal portion of the slot and having its withdrawal out of the slot prevented by the heads, the head on the outer face of the backing constituting a suspension element.

4. An article of the character described compri'sing, a picture frame having a backing sheet attached to its back by a plurality of spaced fastening element-s, an inverted T-shaped slot formed in said backing sheet and extending inwardly from one edge of the same, one of the fastening elements` extending across a portionv of said slot, a suspension member slidable, through the slot and having heads at its opposite ends, the heads being larger than the slot so that withdrawal of the suspension member out of the slot is prevented, the member when moved to its limit in one direction presenting one of the heads beyond the frame, and when moved to its limit in the opposite direction bringing said. head -to a position Where the same is behind and protected by the frame.

FRED LGWENTHAL. 

